Jack Lewis Hill

No one loved his family and friends more than Jack Hill. All of those he loved now mourn his unexpected passing at age 86. Jack was born in Los Angeles, California to Hans Jack Hill and Zona Marie Hill. He grew up in Southern California and on Catalina Island, where he dove for quarters tossed overboard from arriving ferries and worked in his father’s bakery.

Jack graduated from Wilson High School and married the love of his life, Marilyn, soon after. He not only gained a wife but a family, although Marilyn’s mother’s first impression was that he looked like a gangster. He did, after all, belong to The Saints Car Club during high school, something his children and grandchildren loved to tease him about. He entertained all listeners with stories of hunting and fishing trips with his father-in-law, Willie, and sang around the piano with his mother-in-law, Eleanor. Marilyn’s two sisters, Janet and Patty, made it difficult to find a private place to propose to his love in her family’s small Hollywood bungalow, so he settled on the bathroom. She said yes, and they shared a wonderful life for over 66 years.

Jack earned an A.A. in chemistry from East L.A. Community College and attended the University of Southern California, all while raising and supporting his young family. Dennis was born in November of 1955, and Michael came along 18 months later. The family enjoyed monthly trailer trips with a close circle of friends, where they rode dirt bikes in the desert or hunted for the perfect fishing hole. His sons, as boys and men, were a great source of pride.

Jack spent his career in the industrial chemical industry as a sales manager for Univar USA, Incorporated. Jack and Marilyn left California in the mid-70s to open a branch office for the precursor of Univar, McKesson Chemical in Grand Junction. In the capacity of the branch manager, Jack made many friends in the mining industry all over the west. His success led to new appointments in Los Angeles, Spokane, and eventually regional headquarters in the Bay Area. During his working years, he was a member of Rotary in Grand Junction and Spokane, Washington.

In 1992, he retired early, and the Hills moved back to Grand Junction. He set out to see the world with Marilyn, to fish and host sleepovers with the grandchildren, and to be a good friend to whomever he met. He volunteered with Junior Achievement and as a Math Mentor in School District 51. Whatever Jack did, he was a teacher and helper, and most definitely a friend.

During those retirement years, Jack and Marilyn were members of the Committee, a social group that gave imaginative quarterly parties and who traveled together once a year. That fun-loving group became cherished friends with whom they walked through thick and thin. It should be clear by now that Jack loved people. He even turned walking his beloved Rosie into a daily social event with fellow dog-walkers who have become dear friends.

If Jack’s philosophy of life could be encapsulated, it might sound like this: It’s all about the people in your life. Welcome them, treat them well, and be a friend in the truest sense. He left a legacy of friendship to all who knew him.

Jack is survived by his wife Marilyn, his sons Dennis (Patti) of Grand Junction and Michael (Peggy) of Ellijay, Georgia, and four grandchildren: Sarah, Mike, Geoff, and Matt, and four great-grandchildren: Frankie, Lyrenn, Atwell, and Charlie.

There will be a celebration of Jack’s life at the Redlands Community Center on May 15th from noon to 3 P.M. In lieu of flowers, you can honor Jack with a donation to HopeWest of the Grand Valley.